January 10, 2009

Other People's Pantries #50

I have one cupboard, located over my main work area and next to the oven, where I keep most of my baking supplies and spices. I like having it all in one space so I'm not running all over the kitchen looking for things. On the other side of the oven, I have a closet with shelves where I keep all of my other staples and canned goods.

Yes, I have a lot of Tupperware (and yes, I like blue!). When my youngest was a baby, I sold Tupperware for two years just so I could get these storage containers to organize my cupboards. We've moved several times in the last 20+ years, and each time I've been able to rearrange them to fit whatever kitchen we had. (Not a sales pitch, since I don't sell them anymore, but just a happy customer. Some of the seals broke over the years, but they were replaced for free). I honestly can't imagine trying to organize any kitchen without them!

I always encourage people to use clear storage containers (I used to use recycled glass jars) whenever possible. It makes it so much easier to create a shopping list when you can see what you need.

On Saturdays, we peek into Other People's Pantries.

Come on -- show us your pantry.

*Other People's Pantries will be ending soon to make way for a new Saturday feature. However, there's still time to share your pantry photos, so please send them as soon as possible.

Comments

I would have to consider the time to transfer everything to containers vs. how long it would take us to consume. But I really like this. I would have to transfer this to my freezer b/c of those pesky meal moths (gratis my neighbors who are very old and I really do like, but their backyard makes Fred Sanford's look neat). My husband would LOVE this!

I am looking forward to seeing what feature will replace the pantry vignettes. I have really enjoyed reading these posts!

Re grain (meal) moths: containers like this are the answer to the problem. If your food doesn't have then it won't get them, and if they are already in the food (that happens) they can't get out. Tupperware or mayo jars, it works. And there's something so soothing about looking at these shelves!

Thanks for the comments! I confess I've gotten so used to clear containers that I'm completely lost when I go to my mom's house. I can't find anything!

About the time it takes to transfer things to the containers, it really is only time consuming the very first time you set up your cupboards. Since I go shopping weekly, I might only buy 2 or 3 things each week that need to be put in empty containers. That takes practically no time at all.

Oh my God, Lydia! Want to come over to our place and help us organize our pantry as well?! Wow, you have just given me the inspiration I needed to go ahead and put our kitchen cupboards and pantry in order! thank thank you!!! :-)

I actually really like organizing cupboards and pantries. I helped my daughter organize her first kitchen after she got married, and I've helped four other friends organize theirs. I think there are a few main ideas behind effectively organizing.

Second, think about how you use your own kitchen. What foods do you cook most? Where do you stand most often when baking, cooking, preparing breakfast, or grabbing snacks?

Then, try to store the items you use to bake as close as possible to the place you like to stand when baking. Store drink items above your coffee maker. Put mom-approved, kid-friendly snacks at their eye level. Basically, whenever possible, try to store everything as close as possible to the place you most frequently use them. Of course, it's not always possible to do this but, when you can, it will save you a lot of time and effort in the kitchen.

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Welcome to The Perfect Pantry®

My name is Lydia Walshin. From my tiny kitchen in Boston's South End, I share recipes that use what we keep in our pantries, the usual and not-so-usual ingredients that spice up our lives. Thanks so much for visiting.